Why you should check all 3 of your credit reports

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice. See Lexington Law’s editorial disclosure for more information.

Many people don’t know they have multiple credit reports. And if they do, they might not realize that each credit bureau might not have exactly the same information as the others. The potential differences from one report to another are precisely why you should check all three of your credit reports.

Why do you have multiple credit reports?

Personal credit information is gathered, stored and analyzed by several agencies. This data is compiled to create credit reports and credit scores for each consumer, which lenders use to understand someone’s potential risk as a borrower. This information helps lenders determine whether to offer someone a loan or credit and with what terms.

While there are several agencies out there, three main bureaus dominate the credit reporting industry: Equifax^®, Experian^® and TransUnion^®. Your FICO^® or VantageScore^® credit score is determined by your profile information from one of these three agencies.

The bureaus aren’t a government entity, which is why there are three credit bureaus rather than one. And while federal laws heavily regulate the consumer credit agencies, the bureaus are private organizations that operate in their own ways, with separate structures and business goals. Most importantly, having three major bureaus prevents a monopoly in this industry.

In theory, it would be ideal for creditors and lenders to report consumer data to all three major bureaus. However, it often occurs that one or two of the bureaus won’t receive some consumer data, whether due to a mistake or the fact that creditors and lenders aren’t legally required to report the data to all three. Additionally, each bureau has its own process and partners for collecting data, including purchasing public record information.

These factors explain why your report can look different depending on which bureau it comes from. And if you want to do something like apply for credit, a job or housing, it would be helpful for you to know just what information is on each report.

Why are your credit reports important?

As we mentioned, the credit reporting industry is highly regulated. There are federal rules related to what your credit report can—and can’t—include. This is incredibly important, as the information on your credit report is used to determine your credit score.

Your credit report includes the following information:

• Identifying information (legal name, address, Social Security number and birthday)
• Credit account information (types of accounts, dates for those accounts, account limits, account balances and payment history)
• Inquiry information (hard inquiries into your credit report)
• Bankruptcies and foreclosures
• Collection accounts

To eliminate prejudice or unfair scoring, information such as marital status, income, race, gender, medical history, religion, sexual orientation and other personal information isn’t included in credit reports.

Additionally, there are rules for how long information can stay on your credit report. Most negative items fall off your account within seven to 10 years. This is done so past mistakes don’t continue to impact your credit for the rest of your life.

Your credit score can be the key to getting new opportunities and achieving improved finances. Your credit score can impact your ability to be approved for a car loan, mortgage, personal loan and credit card. A higher credit score means you can likely secure better loan terms and lower interest rates, which can save you hundreds or thousands on loans. Finally, your credit score can even play a role in nonfinancial matters, such as rent or job applications.

The five credit factors

Now that you know what’s included in your credit report, you might be wondering how your credit score is determined. Your score is made up of five factors, each of which is weighted differently:

• Payment history (35 percent): Your history of paying your creditors and lenders on time and in full, versus having missed and late payments, significantly impacts your credit score.
• Amounts owed (30 percent): Your credit usage, or credit utilization ratio, is the amount of credit available to you versus how much of it you use every month. Individuals who have a ratio above 30 percent typically see a negative impact on their credit score.
• Credit history length (15 percent): Your credit age is the average age of all the open credit and loan products associated with your profile. The older your credit history length, the better it is for your credit score.
• Credit mix (10 percent): Credit mix is the variety of credit and loans you have open. It improves your credit score and shows you’re a reliable borrower if you can handle various types of credit responsibly. Typically, individuals need to have both revolving credit (credit cards) and installment loans (mortgage, student loans, auto loans, etc.).
• New credit (10 percent): Anytime you open a new credit account or loan, your score may see a temporary minor dip. However, you want to avoid opening several new accounts in a short period, as this can significantly impact your score.

Which credit report will your lender check?

When you apply for a loan or new credit, your lender will almost always check your credit report. You might be able to learn which one they’ll use before you submit a loan or credit card application by asking the lender. But in many cases, you won’t know, which means you should try to stay informed about each of your three main credit reports and the associated scores. Being familiar with each of your reports can help you predict if your application will be approved or denied.

Errors on your credit reports matter

Errors in credit reports are a lot more common than you may realize. According to one study, more than one in three Americans has a mistake on their report.

You can’t ignore these mistakes as they can potentially decrease your score, resulting in you not being approved for something. This is another reason you must regularly check all of your credit reports. One bureau may have everything right, while the other two have some mistakes that are unnecessarily dragging your score down.

How can you check your credit reports?

The federally authorized website AnnualCreditReport.com usually allows all consumers to download a free copy of their credit report—from each bureau—every 12 months. (During the COVID-19 pandemic, the bureaus are actually offering free reports weekly instead of annually.) Plus, there are other ways to check your reports, including sourcing them directly from the credit bureaus or using paid vendors.

If you find errors or discrepancies, you can submit a dispute or contact the lender that provided the incorrect information. You have the legal right to an accurate credit report and the ability to dispute anything inaccurate or false on your account.

If you’re too busy to take all this on, you can also work with professional services like Lexington Law. Our credit consultants can help you with the work so you can have a credit report that fairly represents you. Reach out to our team today to learn more.

Note: Articles have only been reviewed by the indicated attorney, not written by them. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.